After the Conference

Summer is a popular time of year for conferences. A number of big shows happen at this time of year, including the annual INNMUG (now INNUA) conference and the ACUTA conference. Once the show is over, and you're back in the office, how can you make the most of what you learned?

First, get out all the business cards you collected. If they are new friends you met, call or email them. Doing this within about a week of when you get back to the office will ensure they remember you. If it has already been more than a couple of weeks, call anyway. The value of networking is in keeping in touch, so be sure to do just that.

Another important step is to file (not just shove in a drawer or leave in a pile for months) any workshop materials you brought home. Some people find it useful to put them in a marked binder for future reference. Let the boss see you using them. What better justification for going next year, than to be seen using the materials you brought back. Share these materials with your department by storing them somewhere your colleagues can access. This will spread the benefits even further.

Along with workshop materials and business cards from new friends, you likely brought back a lot of material from the vendors in the trade show. Use this. If you are in the market for a call accounting package, for example, review everything you brought back. If you have questions, call the vendor. If you are not in the market right now keep the material on hand for future use.

Be prepared to hear from a number of the vendors you talked with at the show. They are not picking on you, they are doing their job. If you are not interested in whatever they are selling, either because you just don't need it, or because you have a contract with another similar vendor, tell the sales person that when they call. They don't like calling you back any more than you like getting called if you have no intention of buying anything. Save both of you some time and effort and simply tell them why you are not interested. Believe me, they won't continue to call.

A conference is a great place to meet people in your industry. Make the most of the time you spent there by continuing to keep in touch with your new network of contacts. Put your workshop materials to good use and be prepared to talk to the vendors who call. Then be ready to use the wealth of knowledge you gained as cost justification for going again next year.